Apparatus for pipeline transport of liquid, particularly milk



Aug. 24, 1965 RAAYEN 3,202,169

APPARATUS FOR PIPELINE TRANSPORT OF LIQUID, PARTICULARLY MILK Filed June 14, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 9 9 a s 8 7\ 7 7 6 6- 6 f INVENTOR.

HENDRIK RAAYEN Aug. 24, 1965 H. RAAYEN 3,202,169

APPARATUS FOR PIPELINE TRANSPORT OF LIQUID, PARTICULARLY MILK Filed June 14, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

HENDRIK RAA YEN United States Patent 3,202,169 APPARATUS FOR PIPELINE TRANSPORT 0F LIQUID, PARTICULARLY MILK Hendrik Raayen, Rotterdam, Netherlands, assignor to Van Rietschoten & Houwens Techuische Maatschappij Pneumatiek N.V., Rotterdam, Netherlands, a corporation of the Netherlands Filed June 14, 1963, Ser- No. 287,816 Claims priority, application Netherlands, June 15, 1962, 279,7 8'8 3 Claims. (Cl. 137-468) The present invention relates to an apparatus for pipeline transport of liquid, particularly milk, from a plurality of delivery stations to a central receiving station.

This manner of liquid transport, to replace the uneconomical transport of liquid by vehicles or vessels, creates a number of problems of a technical nature, connected with the supervision of the transport in the receiving station and the separate receipt of the liquid delivered by each supplier in his delivery station.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple solution for these problems.

According to the invention, in an apparatus for pipeline transport of liquid, particularly milk, from a plurality of delivery stations to a central receiving station each delivery station has a delivery conduit provided with a delivery valve and connected to a section of a ring conduit located between two distributor valves, said ring conduit coming from the receiving station and returning therein, and all valves are connected to an operating circuit coming from and to be controlled from said receiving station, there being provided between said delivery valves and the operating circuit an operating valve to be controlled in its associated delivery station, said delivery valves responding to the operating circuit oppositely to said distributor valves. For a saving in the cost of materials, according to the invention, both the ring conduits and the operating circuits may partly or entirely coincide. Furthermore, according to the invention, the or each operating circuit may consist of a conduit for a pressure medium for operating the distributor and delivery valves.

In illustration of the invention, an embodiment of the conveying apparatus will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the apparatus;

FIG. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate, in greater detail, a delivery station in three different positions.

Referring to FIG. 1, the apparatus comprises a receiving station 1 having a ring conduit 2 for the liquid to be conveyed, which comes out from it and returns to it. Coming out from the receiving station 1 is further an operating circuit 3, which, in the embodiment shown, is formed as a conduit for a pressure medium, for example, compressed air. The ring conduit is divided into a plurality of sections 4, each bounded by two distributor valves 5, each connected for its operation to the operation circuit 3. Connected to each section 4 is delivery conduit 6 of a delivery station. In each delivery conduit 6 is a delivery valve 7, which is also connected for its operation to the operating circuit 3. Arranged intermediate the operating circuit 3 and each delivery valve 7 is an operating valve 8] As shown diagrammatically in FIGS. .2, 3 and 4, the distributor valves are opened by the pressure medium supplied through the operating circuit 3, and the delivery valves 7 are closed by the pressure medium. The operating valves consist of a three-way valve, by means of which pressure medium can be supplied to the associated delivery valve 7 or released from it.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

So long as no pressure prevails in the operating cir- 3,202,159 Patented Aug. 24, 1965 cuit 3, in each delivery station, where the operating valve 8 is automatically kept in the position shown in FIG. 3, for example, by a spring, the distributor valve 5 will be in the open position and the delivery valve 7 in the closed position. When the valves are in these positions, the ring conduit 2 is evacuated from the receiving station 1. After the evacuation of the ring conduit 2, compressed air is admitted into the operating circuit 3 from the receiving station, as a result of which the distributor valves 5 are closed (FIG. 3), so that the ring conduit 2 is divided into a plurality of separate, evacuated sections 4. So long as the pressure in the operating circuit 3 is maintained, the liquid to be conveyed can now be delivered in the delivery stations, which are each connected to an evacuated section. For this purpose first a plug 10, for example, foam rubber, is forced into the outlet of the delivery funnel 9 as shown in FIG. 2, and subsequently the funnel is filled with liquid. After a second plug 10' which remains floating on the liquid, has been thrown into the funnel, the operating valve, in the delivery station, which is still in the position shown in FIG. 3, is set (FIG. 4) to admit pressure medium from the operating circuit 3, thereby to open the delivery valve 7. The contents of the delivery funnel 9, which is connected to the evacuated ring conduit section 4 through the opening of the delivery valve 7, will be drawn into the section 4, bounded by the plugs drawn in along with the liquid. After the delivery funnel has been emptied, the operating valve 8 is returned to the position shown in FIG. 3, as a result of which the delivery valve is closed, so that the position according to FIG. 3 is completely restored.

It now, at a time convenient to the receiving station, the pressure in the operation circuit 3 is released, the distributor valves 5 are opened. When subsequently one end of the ring conduit 2 is connected to a discharge pump, the entire contents of the conduit 2 are delivered at the other end thereof, it being possible for the contents of the sections 4, separated by the plugs, to be separately collected to be sampled and paid for. In this manner the receiving station keeps complete control of the receipt of the quantities of liquid to be conveyed delivered by the separate delivery stations, especially as regards the time of receipt.

Although, in the embodiment described, use is made of a single ring conduit for the conveyance of the liquid, it will be evident that the principle according to the irivention may also be applied in case a plurality of ring conduits between the receiving station and] the separate delivery stations are used, whether such. ring conduits are partly coinciding or not. When the ring conduit is buried into the ground, the apparatus has the great additional advantage that the liquid stored in the ring conduit is kept under a constant low temperature until the time of receipt in the receiving station.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for pipeline transport of liquid, particularly milk, comprising a central receiving station, a ring conduit having its ends connected to the central receiving station, a plurality of delivery stations each having a delivery conduit connected to the ring conduit at respective different locations spaced along the ring conduit, a delivery valve in each of the delivery conduits, a plurality of distributor valves in the ring conduit and spaced therealong, each delivery conduit being connected to the ring conduit between two consecutive distributor valves, each delivery valve and distributor valve having a valve operating means, a valve operating circuit connected to each of the delivery and distributor valves, the valve operating means for the delivery valves and the valve operating means for the distributor valves being such that the delivery valves are opened by the valve operating circuit when the distributor valves are closed by such circuit and vice versa, means for selectively ceiving station through the ring conduit.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for selectively energizing the valve operating circuit is located at the receiving station, and the separately controlled operating means for each delivery valve is located adjacent its respective delivery valve.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 15 41 valve operating means for each delivery valve and each distributor valve includes a fluid pressure driven motor means, and the valve operating circuit includes a fluid pressure conduit connected to the valve operating means of each of the delivery and distributor valves.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,965,125 12/60 Osborne 137268 3,102,603 9/63 Kerr 222504 M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner.

HENRY T. KLINKSIEK, Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR PIPELINE TRANSPORT OF LIQUID, PARTICULARLY MILK, COMPRISING A CENTRAL RECEIVING STATION, A RING CONDUIT HAVING ITS ENDS CONNECTED TO THE CENTRAL RECEIVING STATION, A PLURALITY OF DELIVERY STATIONS EACH HAVING A DELIVERY CONDUIT CONNECTED TO THE RING CONDUIT AT RESPECTIVE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS SPACED ALONG THE RING CONDUIT, A DELIVERY VALVE IN EACH OF THE DELIVERY CONDUITS A PLURALITY OF DISTRIBUTOR VALVES IN THE RING CONDUIT AND SPACED THEREALONG, EACH DELIVERY CONDUIT BEING CONNECTED TO THE RING CONDUIT BETWEEN TWO CONSECUTIVE DISTRIBUTOR VALVES, EACH DELIVERY VALVE AND DISTRIBUTOR VALVE HAVING A VALVE OPERATING MEANS, A VALVE OPERATING CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO EACH OF THE DELIVERY AND DISTRIBUTOR VALVES, THE VALVE OPERATING MEANS FOR DELIVERY VALVES AND THE VALVE OPERATING MEANS FOR THE DISTRIBUTOR VALVES BEING SUCH THAT THE DELIVERY VALVES ARE OPENED BY THE VALVE OPERATING CIRCUIT WHEN THE DISTRIBUTOR VALVES ARE CLOSED BY SUCH CIRCUIT AND VICE VERSA, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ENERGIZING THE VALVE OPERATING CIRCUIT TO OPERATE THE DELIVERY AND DISTRIBUTOR VALVES AND A SEPARATELY CONTROLLED OPERATING MEANS FOR EACH DELIVERY VALVE FOR SELECTIVELY DISABLING THE CONTROLLING OF EACH DELIVERY VALVE BY THE VALVE OPERATING CIRCUIT, WHEREBY THE CONTENTS OF EACH DELIVERY STATION MAY BE SEPARATELY EMPTIED INTO THE RECEIVING STATION THROUGH THE RING CONDUIT. 